Sugar Birds — Cheryl Grey Bostrom

NORTHWEST WASHINGTON STATE, 1985For years, Harris Hayes has taught his daughter, Aggie, the ways of the northern woods, where she sketches nests of wild birds as an antidote to sadness. Then her depressed, unpredictable mother forbids her to climb the trees that give her sanctuary and comfort. Angry, ten-year-old Aggie accidentally lights a tragic fire and flees downriver. She lands her boat near untamed forest, then hides among trees and creatures she believes are her only friends—determined to remain undiscovered.A search party gathers hours after Celia arrives at her grandmother’s nearby farm. Hurting from her parents’ breakup, she also plans to run. But when she joins the hunt for Aggie, she meets two irresistible young men who compel her to stay. One is autistic; the other, dangerous.Ideal for fans of Under the Magnolias, Where the Crawdads Sing, and The Great Alone, Sugar Birds is a layered, riveting story set in the breathtaking natural world—where characters encounter the mending power of forgiveness, for themselves and for those who have failed them.“A true page-turner . . . An engrossing tale.” Kirkus Reviews2022 CHRISTIANITY TODAY’S BOOK AWARDS: Award of Merit – Fiction2022 ACFW CAROL AWARDS: Winner - Debut Fiction2022 IPPY AWARDS: Gold Winner - Best First Book, Fiction2022 CHRISTY AWARD FINALIST - First Novel2022 NAUTILUS AWARDS: Silver Winner - Fiction/Large Publishers2022 INTERNATIONAL BOOK AWARDS: Winner - Inspirational Fiction and Cross-Genre Fiction; Finalist - General Fiction, Literary Fiction2022 NEXT GENERATION INDIE BOOK AWARDS: Finalist - General Fiction/Novel2021 AMERICAN FICTION AWARDS: Winner - Literary Fiction, General Fiction, and Cross-Genre Fiction; Finalist - Religious Fiction2021 BEST BOOK AWARDS: Winner - Inspirational Fiction; Finalist - Cross-Genre Fiction2021 FOREWORD INDIES: Silver Winner - Religious Fiction; Finalist - General Adult Fiction2021 READER’S FAVORITE AWARDS: Silver Medalist - Inspirational Fiction